"The white of Shino can be compared to the first snow of the season, or to the last traces of the winter snow, which the warm spring winds are erasing as the bush warbler's first song rings out. Shino's white surface is soft like a mother's breast; it brings back memories of childhood."
"Shino white is tidiness itself. And on that white the potters painted designs with an iron glaze made of oni-ita, a red clay rich in iron and manganese and abundant in the Seto region. The effect of flame in the kiln added distinctive fire marks. Shino is an elusive ware, capable of infinite transformations."
"The Shino potters thickly applied their glaze, which they made by carefully grinding feldspar and refining it in water. To this they added their own secret proportion of ash. Then, after offering sake and prayers to the gods of the kiln, and ritually scattering salt to purify the area, they entrusted their pieces to the fire."
"Shino ware is the spirit of tea, the essence of pottery. It is the result of the flames of the kiln"
The pinholes in Japanese shino happen because of the slow firing, whereas in Western glazes it's usually because of a high clay content. This bowl is a pretty good example of white shino with some lovely brushwork painted on the clay body under the glaze. It's quite large and perfect for somebody with man-hands. To me it looks like the potter was heavily influenced by the first living trasure for shino Toyozo Arakawa. The bowl has a beautiful undulating lip and a nice kodai. Includes signed box (not sure of the artist) and artists papers.
I love this pice but alas it must find a new home. Asking $75 shipped with insurance and free gift of my choice
* used without permission, so please don't sue me. It's a great book and I highly recommend you buy the new reprint which was printed along with the even more fantastic volume in the same series titled Oribe.
